Students invited to "Welcome Back Bash" in Eblen Center Thursday

Jan 18, 2010

Cash and prizes awarded to” most
spirited” student groups

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech’s basketball teams
are hoping to do some “Peay Picking” on Thursday night,
Jan. 21, and the Golden Eagles will host a Welcome Back Bash for
TTU students when they host the Austin Peay Governors in a
doubleheader in Eblen Center.

To welcome students back to campus for their first home games
following the long holiday break, Tech is giving free Tech Attack
t-shirts to the first 1,000 students into the arena. In addition,
each student will also receive a coupon for a free popcorn and
Pepsi product at the game.

Students must enter through the north entrance and show a valid
Tech ID. The gates will open at 4:30 p.m., and the women’s
game tips off at 5:30 p.m.

As another special event at the games – and at all remaining
home games in 2010 -- prizes will be given to the student group
showing the most spirit and enthusiasm throughout the night,
including a first place cash prize of $250. Students should bring a
sign or banner or some other means of identifying their group.

“These are important games for both of our basketball teams,
and we hope to give our coaches and players every advantage we can
with enthusiastic support in the stands,” said Mark Wilson,
TTU Director of Athletics.

“The atmosphere for OVC games can be amazing when we have a
large, enthusiastic and noisy student crowd,” Wilson said.
“We want to give a special invitation to each and every TTU
student to attend this doubleheader and make a difference,
especially our freshmen who may have never been to a Golden Eagle
basketball game.

“We have seen and heard what a difference our student crowd
can make, and we want to do whatever we can to develop that for the
remainder of this season,” Wilson said.

Throughout the game, a variety of games and contests will also
take place that will feature Tech students competing against one
another for fun and prizes. The “Are You A Rock Star?”
contest will give one fan the chance to qualify to compete in the
season finale featuring $1,000 in prizes.

The basketball games between Tech and Austin Peay have become the
Golden Eagles most heated rivalries throughout the years, and
Thursday’s games promise to add to the tradition.

A year ago, the Tech women beat Austin Peay by 16 points in Eblen
Center just one week before the Lady Govs captured the OVC
Tournament and advanced to the NCAAs. In the men’s game last
year, the Golden Eagles dropped an 86-80 nail-biter to the Govs in
a series that has been nearly dead-even through 130 contests since
1941.

To add to the festivities, fans and students are reminded that the
doubleheader against Austin Peay will be televised by WCTE TV. Fans
are encouraged to bring signs appropriate to be shown on
television.